Rocking mechanism



ly 8,1969 Y. CALVIN ETAL 3,453,668

' ROCKING MECHANISM FiledJan. 11, 1965 INVENTORS m0 VR N L A M C A /,1 AL (U N 1 A m a, Y m um ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,453,668 ROCKING MECHANISM Yolanda Calvin, 83--20141st St., Kew Gardens, N.Y. 11415, and Miguel Lazaro, 1 Sickles St.,New York, N.Y. 10040 Filed Jan. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 424,727 Int. Cl. A47d9/02, 9/04 US. Cl. -109 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rockingmechanism for a crib, or the like, having a motor driven cam plate onwhich a cam roller is eccentrically mounted to ride in a trackway formedby spaced channel members arranged on a crib endwall, said mechanismformed of relatively stock flanged bushings, rollers and channelmembers.

This invention relates to the art of rocking mechanisms, moreparticularly to an improved rocking mechanism adapted for use inconnection with cradles, cribs, beds or the like.

A variety of situations exist in which it is desired to impart a rockingmotion to a member. Thus in connection with cradles or cribs, it isoften found desirable to impart a rocking motion to the cradle or cribso as to soothe the occupant and provide the desired lulling actiongenerally found conducive to sleep. To this end, a variety of structureshave in the past been evolved designed to provide the desired rockingmotion to a bed or crib. Such previously evolved structures have howeverbeen relatively complex and costly, thus mitigating against their use inconnection with cradles or cribs. Additionally, previously evolvedstructures have been such as to require factory assembly, and thereforepreventing the use of these rocking mechanisms with existing cribs,beds, cradles, or the like members to be rocked.

It is with the above problems and desiderata in mind, that the presentimproved rocking mechanism has been evolved, a rocking mechanism ofrelatively simple nature, requiring minimum maintenance, and lendingitself to installation in connection with a bed or crib by a user sothat the rocking mechanism per se may be sold as a kit apart from thecradle or crib structure.

It is accordingly among the primary objects of this invention to providean improved rocking or oscillating mechanism of a simple nature subjectto installation by a user in connection with any structure which it isdesired to rock such a cradle or crib.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means formounting a cradle for desired oscillation or rocking without requiringspecial production or assembly tools.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a simple rockingmechanism subject to being distributed in kit form for installation byuser in connection with a cradle, crib, bed, or the like objects whichit is desired to mount for rocking motion.

These and other objects of the invention which Will become hereafterapparent are achieved by pivotally supporting the member to be rocked.This may be accomplished by providing a pair of pivot journals adaptedfor securernent to opposed side walls of the member to be rocked such asa cradle or crib. Additionally a trackway is formed on one of the walls.This trackway is preferably formed by a track assembly adapted forsecurernent to one of the walls of said member to be rocked. A mountingboard is provided with a bearing member positioned on the mounting boardfor engagement with one of the aforementioned pivot journals. Thebearing member is 3,453,668 Patented July 8, 1969 located at a point onthe mounting board at a height above the bottom of the mounting boardgreater than the distance between the pivot journal and the lowest pointof the member to be rocked to provide necessary rocking clearance. Onthe mounting board a cam member is provided for rotation in thetrackway. This cam member is formed by a rotatable shaft arranged with aroller secured eccentrically with respect to the rotatable shaft. Thiseccentrically mounted roller is dimensioned to ride on the trackassembly. A motor supported on the mounting board is coupled to theshaft to drive same. A support wall similar in shape to the mountingboard and having a support wall bearing is provided for arrangement atthe opposite side of the member to be rocked with the support wallbearing dimensioned to accommodate the opposed pivot journal. In useenergization of the motor causes the eccentrically mounted roller tomove in the trackway between the tracks imparting desired rocking motionto the member to be rocked.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that the components ofthe rocking mechanism lend themselves to being sold in kit formindependently of the member to be rocked, permitting installation of therocking mechanism in conjunction with an existing member to be rockedsuch as a cradle or crib.

A further feature of the invention resides in the fact that thecomponents may readily be assembled without the use of specialized toolsor mechanical skills so that the rocking mechanism may be incorporatedby anyone in connection with a cradle or crib.

The specific details of a preferred embodiment of the invention, andtheir mode of functioning, will be made most manifest and particularlypointed out in the clear, concise, and exact terms in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective View of a crib to which the improvedrocking mechanism of the invention is applied; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a crib such as shown in FIG. 1 withthe rocking mechanism applied thereto; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2 indicatingthe rocking motion imparted to the crib.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in thevarious figures will be taken to designate like parts.

As seen in the drawings, the member to be rocked is illustratively shownas a crib 10 having opposed end walls 11 and 12. The crib 10 shownillustratively, as Will be understood by those skilled in the art, ismerely shown by way of example as indicating the type of members towhich the instant invention may be applied to impart desired rockingmotion to the members.

On end wall 11 of the illustratively shown crib 10, a track assembly 15is arranged. The track assembly 15 in the illustrated embodiment ispreferably formed by the utilization of two channel shaped elements 16and 17, U-shaped in cross-section. These channel shaped elements areformed of conventionally available stock, and may be made in any one ofa variety of other shapes within the scope of the invention. The onlyrequirement of the elements 16 and 17 is that they be provided with sidewalls so that when the elements 16 and 17 are arranged on the end wall11 a member to be rocked the side walls serve to define a trackway 18therebetween.

A pivot journal assembly 20 is formed by securing a journal pin 21 in aflanged collar 22 with the flange of collar 22 adapted for securernentto the end wall 11 0f the crib or other member to be rocked.

A substantially similar pivot journal assembly 25 is provided forarrangement on the opposed end Wall 12 of the cradle as seen to theright in FIGS. 1 and 2..

As best seen to the left in FIGS. 1 and 2, a mounting board 30 isprovided, which as illustrated, is preferably contoured to overlie theend wall 11 of the member to be rocked such as cradle 10. In theillustrated embodiment, the mounting board is Shaped so as to providelegs 31 and 32 which extend down below the bottom of end wall 11. In theillustrated embodiment, the end wall 11 of crib 10 is shown without legmembers such as are conventionally present. It will be understood bythose skilled in the art that these conventionally present leg membersmay either be removed at the time of installation of the rockingmechanism of this invention, or if it is desired to retain the generallyavailable leg members, then the leg members 31 and 32 on the mountingboard are made slightly longer than the leg members of the crib 10. Abearing bushing 35, preferably formed with a flange 36 to implementsecurement of the bearing 35 to mounting board 30 is provided. Bearing35 is dimensioned to accommodate journal pin 21. Bearing 35 is arrangedon the mounting board 30 so as to support the crib 10 at a distanceabove the floor or like datum so as to permit rocking of the crib 10, aswill be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Arranged on the mounting board at a point spaced from bearing 35 is arotatable shaft 40 suitably bearing in the mounting board. A cam memberin the form of roller 42 is eccentrically positioned with respect toshaft 40. The eccentric positioning of cam roller 42 is obtained in theillustrated embodiment of the invention by a mounting roller 42 on stud43 supported on plate 45, as best seen in FIG. 1.

Shaft 40 is rotated by means of electric motor 46 which is connected toshaft 40 through transmission 47, as best seen to the left in FIG. 2.

Support wall 50, as best seen to the right in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shapedlike mounting board 30 and dimensioned to cover the end wall 12. Legs 51and 52 extend down beneath the lowermost part of the crib structure aspreviously described in connection with legs 31 and 32.

Provided for securement to support wall 50 is a bearing 55 having aflnage plate 56 secured thereto. Bearing 55 is dimensioned toaccommodate the journal pin of pivot journal assembly 25.

Tie rod struts 60 are provided to extend between mounting board 30 andsupport wall 50 as best seen in FIG. 2 to maintain the components inassembled relationship.

OPERATION As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, theaforedescribed rocking mechanism may be employed in connection with avariety of structures where it is desired to impart a rocking motion tothe structure. As illustratively described the rocking mechanism hasbeen shown as applied to a crib 10.

Installation of the rocking mechanism with respect to the crib 10 isaccomplished by securing the pivot journal assemblies 20 and 25 toopposed end walls 11 and 12 of crib 10. Track assembly 15 is secured toone of the side walls of the crib 10 to provide a trackway 18 at aspaced distance from the pivot axis provided by pivot pins 21 and 25. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the pivot axis is shown as beneath thetrackway, however, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatthe pivot axis may be positioned at any point on the member to berocked. It is preferred that the pivot axis serves to support the memberto be rocked in a desired stable position.

Thereafter the mounting board 30 and support wall 50 are arrangedso'that bearings 35 and 55 accommodate the pivot pins of pivotassemblies 20 and 25. Roller 42 is arranged in trackway 18. In order toinsure maintenance of the mounting board 30, support wall 50 and cribstructure 10 in assembled relationship, appropriate tie rod struts maybe extended between the mounting board as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Thereafter, by connecting motor 46 to a source of energization, therotation of shaft 40 causes roller 42 to move against the side walls oftrackway 18, which as illustrated in FIG. 3 produces a desired rockingmotion in the crib 10.

It is thus seen that a simple rocking mechanism has been providedlending itself to distribution in kit form for installation without theexercise of particular mechanical skills, nor requiring the use ofparticular tools.

What is claimed is:

1. A rocking mechanism kit adapted for installation in connection with amember to be rocked, said kit comprising a mounting board dimensioned ofa size to extend over an end wall of the member to be rocked; anapertured flanged bearing bushing on said mounting board; an electricmotor secured to said mounting board; a shaft rotatably supported onsaid mounting board and coupled to said motor; a cam rollereccentrically positioned on said shaft; a track assembly formed of twochannel members adapted for securement at a spaced apart distance on anend wall of said member to be rocked; and an apertured flanged pivotjournal assembly adapted for securement below said shaft to the memberto be rocked for engagement in said bearing bushing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,758,319 8/1956 Fehrman 5-1092,936,464 5/ 1960 Miller et al. 3,146,985 9/1964 Grudoski 5109 XR3,319,271 5/1967 Austin 5108 FOREIGN PATENTS 348,676 2/ 1905 France.982,380 1/1951 France.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

RAYMOND D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner.

